€10,000 EPT Grand Final Main Event Day 1a | 2009 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final

04-28-2009 16:07 UTC+3

Early Night for Rijkenberg

[user46392]

Spotted, well, nowhere at all, is Mr. Constant Rijkenberg, winner of the recent PokerStars.com EPT San Remo. Rijkenberg tried to bring his lunch into the tournament room earlier but was prevented by casino security. He wound up passing it off to the media. Perhaps he should have held off a few minutes -- it looks as though his erratic play couldn't catapult him to the final table this week, and he now has five whole days to drop some of his San Remo winnings on anything he likes except the main event in Monte Carlo.

Tags: Constant Rijkenberg

04-28-2009 16:21 UTC+3

Drawing Into Doom Part 2

[user46298]

It does look like the table draw of Mr. Ian Farrell was pretty unfortunate - the UK player last (and first) seen coming in 2nd in a GUKPT event in Manchester having won a satellite has been drawn on that Antonius/Tureniec/Phillips table. Holding his own with 35,000 currently, we hear that he snuck in to the EPT Grand Final through the last possible freeroll!

It wasn't an easy decision though, apparently, as he's had to miss a Man City home game for the first time in 20 years to come to the tournament. The table couldn't be much tougher, but judging by the empty table next to it, it might be one of the next to break.

Tags: Ian Farrell

04-28-2009 16:25 UTC+3

Death-Watch Rewarded - Phil Ivey Eliminated

[user46392]

Phil Ivey spent a few hands folding and sitting with his face in his hands. During this time Greg Raymer was overheard at the next table advising a fellow player that although food can be consumed in the card room, the waiters won't bring it to the tables and players have to go the bar to get it themselves. "What you do is you find someone who's busted out and get them to do it for an extra €10..."

Just as the conversation was becoming interesting, Ivey moved in on the next table, called by young Dutchman Martijn Schirp.

Ivey: {A-Clubs}

Schirp:

Board:

The two players shook hands and Ivey attempted to leave, but returned a moment later to collect his phone.

Tags: Phil Ivey

Level: 4

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 0

04-28-2009 16:34 UTC+3

The Wrath of God

[user75032]

Tangle with Patrik Antonius and pay the price. Antonius, sitting in position, was the only caller of a preflop raise to 600. His opponent fired a continuation bet on a ragged, rainbow flop of {5-Clubs}

. Antonius calmly called.

When the turn fell {10-Diamonds}

, Antonius' opponent hurriedly checked. Antonius, on the other hand, was a study in calm. Repeatedly squeezing a stack of chips with his fingertips, Antonius betrayed absolutely nothing for ten or fifteen seconds. Then he counted out a bet of 2,100 and placed it in the middle of the table. His opponent pitched his cards into the muck.

Antonius was a late arrival but he seems to be gearing up early. He doesn't have the easiest table draw though. It should be interesting to see what kind of chip accumulation he can accomplish before the table breaks.

04-28-2009 16:41 UTC+3

Your Day 1a Numbers

[user75032]

There were 396 happy poker players to start the day, just shy of the projected 400-player total. Of course, by the time that number was finalized by EPT staff, several tables had already been broken in the back of the room. Not even a starting stack of 300 big blinds can prevent players from busting in the early-going, it seems.

04-28-2009 16:45 UTC+3

Withdrawing from the Bank of Channing

[user46392]

John Kabbaj seems to be a little short already -- he's been appealing to a railer to ask Neil Channing, flying out tomorrow, to bring him some extra money for the week.

"Er, I'm not sure the Bank of Channing is as weighty as it used to be," said the railer.

"No, but he has to give me some money," continued Kabbaj, "Because the games are much bigger than I thought..."

04-28-2009 17:01 UTC+3

Lawson Our New Chip Leader

[user46392]

A rather large hand for Ted Lawson. With the board reading {10-Diamonds}

, he checked to his young opponent, who bet 6,000. Lawson made it 12,000, and the youngster called.

Come the {8-Hearts}

river, Lawson bet out 15,000; with a sigh, his opponent called, and then made a strangled noise when Lawson turned over {A-Diamonds}

for the flopped nuts. The sad young gent showed him pocket tens for a set, and Lawson is up to almost 90,000.

Tags: Ted Lawson

04-28-2009 17:07 UTC+3

Jarred Solomon Doubles Up

[user75032]

You remember Jarred Solomon, right? The last time we saw, him, at the 2009 Aussie Millions, he was all smiles after taking down the AU$1,100 H.O.R.S.E. event. He's all smiles again today thanks to a recent double-up. On a board of {8-Diamonds}

, Solomon called a bet of 1,600 by the person we presume to have been the preflop raiser (a presumption based on the fact that he later said his starting hand was ace-king). There was one other player in the hand, the small blind. He had checked the flop, then jammed all in for more than 40,000. The original bettor folded.

"I'll call," said Solomon. "I know he's got a big draw though."

As it turned out, the exact opposite was true. Solomon's opponent showed down {A-Diamonds}

for two pair. He was drawing exceedingly thin against Solomon's middle set of eights, {8-Clubs}

. The board ran out a safe {4-Clubs}

and

to double Solomon up to about 60,000 chips.

Tags: Jarred Solomon

04-28-2009 17:08 UTC+3

Jaka Attack

[user46298]

Steve Jelinek came over a short while ago to enquire whether the gathered few press knew anything about the player two to his left - Faraz Jaka. "I don't know who he is, but he's been absolutely running over this table," said Jelinek, too experienced to be frustrated by this, but clearly experiencing mild chagrin at least.

The very next hand Jaka squeezes on the button and takes the blinds and two limpers' 300 chips. The hand after that, a mid position shorter stack makes it 800 to go and gets no fewer than four callers, Jaka and Jelinek among them. The flop comes {10-Clubs}

. Two checks to Jaka (including the original raiser) - he bets 2,200 and button Jelinek folds along with everyone else, shaking his head and whispering, "See what I mean?"

Tags: Faraz Jaka Steve Jelinek